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No. 460,397. Patented Sept. 29, 1891.

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(No Model.) E 2 Sheets--Sheet 2. E. MORGAN.

ENVELOPE. No. 460,397. Patented Sept. 29, 1891.

q/wbmmo I gvwewtoz M g flmme z UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ELISHA MORGAN, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

ENVELOPE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 460,397, datedSeptember 29, 1891. Application filed May 18, 1891. Serial No. 393,157.(No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ELISHA MORGAN, of Springfield, in the county ofHampden and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Envelopes; and I do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and tothe letters of reference marked thereon.

My invention relates, particularly, to that class of envelopes used bythe Post-Office Department for registered packages and by expresscompanies for inclosing money or other valuables and-known assafety-envelopes, and it consists in certain novel features ofconstruction to be hereinafter described, and pointed out particularlyin the appended claims, the object being to provide an envelope whichcan not only be easily and cheaply made, but that affords a betterprotection to its contents and renders any attempt to tamper with itmore easily discoverable than any other envelopewvith which I amfamiliar.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a viewof the blankfrom which my improved envelope is formed; Fig. 2, a view of the same,showing the main flap folded over upon the body portion; Fig. 3, aperspective view showing the end flaps folded down and secured and theenvelope ready to receive the paper, money, or other thing to beinclosed; Fig. 4, a View showing the gummed extension of the main flapfolded down and secured; Fig. 5, a view showing the main flap foldeddown to complete the closure and Fig. 6, a view of the completed andclosed envelope, showing the application of lines of weakness and linesof fugitir e ink as additional safeguards against attempts to gainentrance surreptitiously to the interior of the envelope.

Similar letters of reference in the several figures indicate the sameparts.

Referring particularly to Fig. 1, A represents the body portion of theenvelope; B, the main flap, adapted to be folded over upon the bodyportion A on the line a a and having the extension or flap B, as shown.

C O are the end flaps, adapted to be folded inward over the main flap Bon the lines o c and having their upper corners cut away, as

shown at c 0, so that the portions from which the parts are removedwill, when folded down, lie substantially flush with the ends of theflap B. s

D is themoutl1-flap,for1ned,preferably,with the extensions dd at itsends, as shown.

The lateral margins of the main flap B are gummed, as indicated by theshade-lines g, and the flap B is also gummed, as shown by theshade-lines 9'.

Each of the end flaps C is gummed on the inside, as shown by theshade-lines g and the mouth-flap D is likewise gummed on the inside, asshown by the shade-lines 9 In forming the envelope from this blank themain flap B is first folded down-upon the body portion A and unitedthereto by the gummed margins g g, but not by the gummed flap B, asshown in Fig. 2, after which the end flaps O O are folded down andsecured, so as to overlap the already-fastened ends of the main flap B,but leaving the flap B of said main flap and the mouth-flapDloose andfree, as shown in Fig. 3. To close the envelope, the flap B is moistenedand sealed to the body portion A, as shown in Fig. l, and then themouth-flap D is moistened and sealed down over said flap B, theextensions (Z (Z covering completely the joint between said flap B andthe end flaps C O, as indicated in Fig. 5.

It will be observed that the pocket of my envelope, or, in otherwords,the space occupied by the contents, has no overlapping folds whatever.Consequently it is impossible to raise a fold, make an incision, extractthe contents and replace the fold, as in some so-called safety-envelopes. On the contrary, the front and back of the pocket in myenvelope are composed each of a single plain unbroken piece, and theflaps at the ends and top are so superposed and doubly sealed as to makeit impossible to effect an entrance through them Without detection.

For the purpose of furnishing additional safeguards against tamperingwith the envelope when sealed, I preferably form a series ofperforations p in the main flap B, along the side margins thereof, andasimilar series of perforations p in the flap B, as shown in Fig. 1, sothat when the said end flaps C O and the mouth-flap D are sealed downthey will, as to the portions of them opposite the said perforations, beunited to the body portion A. I also preferably weaken the said flaps OO and D with lines of weakness to at the points opposite the saidperforations p p and at t" I apply lines of fugitive ink, which willspread if Wetied or steamed.

The flap B, in addition to being useful to effect the double sealing ofthe envelopes at the top or mouth, enables the mouth to be opened widerand the package to be inserted within it with greater facility. Thecutting away of the corners o c of the end flaps C O, opposite the endsof the flap B, leaves but one thickness of material between the mainbody A and the month-flap D at that point, and enables the flap D to liemuch more smoothly and closely than if the end flap lapped the said flapB, while the lapping of the said end flaps O 0 upon the main flap B,below the flap B, as shown at 0 Fig. 4, strengthens what might otherwisebe weak corners b, Fig. 2.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is 1. Asafety-envelope having the top and ends of its pocket portion composedof three superposed plies or thicknesses sealed together without leavingany flap overlapping upon said pocket portion, substantially asdescribed.

2. A safet-y-envelope consisting of a body portion, a main flap foldedover upon the body portion and sealed thereto at the ends thereof, endflaps foldedupon and sealed to the body portion, and a mouth-flap foldedover and sealed to the main flap, whereby a pocket is formed upon whichthere are no overlapping fiaps, substantially as described.

3. A safety-envelope consisting of the body portion A, the main flap B,carrying the narrower flap B, the end flaps C C, cut away or narrowed atc c and lapped over upon the main flap B so as to bring the cut-away ornarrowed portions substantially flush with the lateral edges of the flapB, and the mouth-flap D, overlapping the flap B and the upper portionsof the end flaps C, the said parts being gummed and securedsubstantially in the manner described.

4:. The herein-described envelope, consisting of the body portion A, themain flap carrying the narrower flap B, the end flaps C O, narrowed at cc, and the mouth-flap D, having the extensions d d at its ends, the saidparts being gummed and secured together, substantially as described.

5. The herein-described envelope, having the main flap B and thenarrower flap B, provided with the perforations, as atp p,

and the end flaps G O and the mouth-flap D,

gummed on the inner face and having the weakened portions at pointsopposite and registering with the said perforations p 19, substantiallyas described.

ELISHA MORGAN. Witnesses:

R. W. DAY, W. M. WHARFIELD.

